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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23361334">But Ain't You Trouble</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelma_throwaway/pseuds/thelma_throwaway'>thelma_throwaway</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The How-It-Was [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Firefly, Serenity (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drabble, Gen, Interlude, Lightly Naughty</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:07:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>591</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23361334</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelma_throwaway/pseuds/thelma_throwaway</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>They'd made quiet an impression in town.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jayne Cobb &amp; River Tam</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The How-It-Was [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1592782</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>But Ain't You Trouble</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span><strong>lascivious (luh-siv-ee-uhs)</strong>, adj.; wanton, inclined to lustfullnes, </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>revealing an overt and often offensive sexual desire</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Dust and grit snows down through the grates of the smuggler’s hatch. Jayne covers her mouth when her nose start to twitch but she doesn’t sneeze. He draws her down and away from the opening, the stomping of local law’s filthy boots.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They’re folded together as far from the light as they can, Jayne’s heart beating against her spine. They’ve made quite an impression in town.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gonetagetuskilt,” he hisses low. River rolls her eyes and he squeezes the hand over her mouth, he’s forearm pressing into her throat. Even in silence he needs the last word.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As you can see gentlemen,” Mal bellows above them. “No such persons as you described here.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Should we bring in the dogs, sheriff?” It’s the crooked little pipsqueak who’d ratted them out, feeling big under his deputy star. Jayne clenches his jaw when he recognizes the voice. River digs her nails into his knees and he snorts softly into her hair, releasing the coiled muscle in his throat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nothing like a little pain to bring you back to the present.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s a pause while the sheriff ponders this. Just the clanking of the ship, quietly quietly getting ready for take off under Zoe’s calm hands. She’s ready to buck the lawmen off the ramp soon as the signals given. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jayne’s blood starts to slow and his grip loosens. His hand floats to the gun on his thigh but shakes the idea from his mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Naw.” Says the sheriff after a long while. “I believe this young man. No reason a fine, honest crew of bible salesmen would harbor a couple of foul, cheating, morally defunct, lascivious--”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you kindly, sir!” Kaylee pipes from somewhere. “But we’ve been truly blessed with a fine clear sky for just a short spell, s’os if it you’d be so generous we’d like to take our leave.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>River nestles her face against Jayne’s palm to muffle a laugh, imagining the mechanic’s clasped hands and goofy smile. Really getting into the part. He squeezes the hand over her mouth but not roughly, smiling a bit in the dark.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Glory be,” says the sheriff cheerfully.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Glory be,” says the captain and Kaylee.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They wait until they lifted off, leaving the lawmen in swirling dust and yet another planet too hot to ever visit again. Mal jimmies the hatch open and calls down, “Clear!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jayne moves his hand from her mouth, tweaking her chin as it slides away. “You first, little lady.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She’s been tensed so long it feels like pulling magnets apart when she unfolds from his lap. The place his fingertips had pressed into her cheek are warm and ache just a little. She feels a friendly slap on her ass as she crawls out of the dark.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Goooraam, but ain’t you trouble.” Mal says as she emerges. He offers her a hand up, picks some dirt from her shoulder. “The number of quick getaways we’ve done since you started running jobs.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Bugong</span>
  </em>
  <span>, captain. You’ve always had to make quick getaways.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jayne scrambles into the light,cursing and  sneezing dust as it sheds from his hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d shower off if I was you. Those gents are cattle farmers by day. Wasn’t no mud on their boots.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jayne slinks away muttering. River waits, observing exactly how the captain replaces things so that it looks like another welded grate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, you’re an educated young gal,” he says finally, testing the hidden panel with his foot. “What’s la-siv-e-uzz mean.”  </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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